Turn Back the Pendulum: Rain of Crimson Sand
Solitude of Remembrance ...and so, I probably won't have time to visit for about a year. I've been away for awhile, I know. I'll try to make it there for your birthday. Love, Hibiki '' Hibiki Ōtori, one of Konohagakure's new generation of Sannin, was sitting in a little cottage in some faraway land, far from his home in the land of fire. He descended the stairs, and, after a moment, came back up with his fastest delivery hawk. He tied the scroll to it's leg. "Get there and back fast." Hibiki murmured, and the bird noisily flapped out of the window. He was rushing the bird because he never liked to remain in one place for a long time. He wasn't a rogue ninja, but he had a large bounty on his head, and shinobi had made multiple attempts to collect. It hadn't ended well for them at all... He felt sudden movement, and could detect the slightest hint of chakra. He sighed, and at that exact moment, he felt a blade at his throat. "Hibiki Ōtori." A deep, growling voice sounded out. Hibiki sighed again. "Another one? How, if I may ask, did you get into my house?" "Telling you don't matter." The voice sounded again. "In a moment, you will know nothing." "Actually, I think that will be you." Hibiki said coldly. Without moving, black blades pierced the man's neck. His body crumpled, and the blades dissolved into black grains of sand. Hibiki dragged the body outside, and merely threw down the hill. Again and again, people had attempted to kill him. Again and again, he had blood to clean off his floor. He sighed. Since they knew he was here, he'd have to move soon. Best to wait for his mother's reply letter however. He sat down in a chair, thinking back. ''"Hard to believe how long it's been since Mother took me in." He thought to himself. "I'd hate to think what would have happened to me had she not found me." ---- "Mama, Mama, look what I can do!" A young boy, about 4 or 5, was sitting on top of the roof of his house, black grains of sand floating above his palm. "Mama, look." He insisted, calling down. A woman, who couldn't be much older than 20, looked up at her son. She noticed the floating grains of black sand he was trying to show off. She smiled. "Iron Sand. And so soon as well." "Hibiki, come down from there." She called up, and the boy stood up, beginning to wobble. He took a step and slipped on a bit of water. He fell, falling down from the roof. As he fell he screamed. Before he hit the ground however, he collided with a soft cloud of dark, black sand. He looked over to see small grains of sand floating around his mother. She was smiling kindly at him as the sand carried him over to her and she picked him up. "Watch your step from now on Hibiki." Hibiki's face was slightly red, the boy embarrased at his fall. "I-I just wasn't prepared is all." He insisted. His mother chuckled. "Hibiki, listen to this and remember it well. Life itself is a series of events for which one is unprepared. Getting on with what you've got is all anyone can do. Now, let's go back inside. It's getting hot out here." ''... It was night, and Hibiki was in his bed, sleeping soundly. The moonlight was hitting his face, making him seem pale. His eyes fluttered open, and he sat up, rubbing his face. "Water..." He murmured, sliding out of bed and trudging down the hall. He walked outside with a cup, dipping it into the "watering hole" outside and walked back inside, sipping as he walked.